Obama - Nutrition Bill Vital to Children's Future - NYTimes.com

Obama - Nutrition Bill Vital to Children's Future - NYTimes.com


WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands more children would eat lunches and dinners at school and all school food would become more nutritious under a bill President Barack Obama signed into law Monday, part of an administration-wide effort to combat childhood obesity. Read Full Text..

Money is a lousy motivator for most of us to exercise. Still... your insurance rates keep going up. One reason: YOU ARE AN AMERICAN and Americans keep getting fatter. That fat carries with it many complications to your health and longevity. But your insurance agent lumps you into larger categories of people to simplify the statistics, so you get lumped in with the rest of America even if you're skinny. 

I'm doing my part! My 2010 Resolution was to help 6 people change their health. I reached that by March. I need to check the books to see how many friends lost weight or seriously changed their health in 2010 with any aid or motivation from me.

It has been a good year! Thanks to all who let me help!! I want exponential growth in 2011. I will let you know what that means when I set my goal.
Jeff

PS. Kudos to the Obama Family!!

Fitness Status 8/2- Hike and Limited Space

Fit Wannabees,

Sorry I missed you last week. I had just gotten back from a hike around Mt. Hood and had trouble getting caught up on everything. My blogging and emailing fell a little behind. The week after that 50 mile hike, I took off. Read about it and check out pictures here. Next big hike is around Three Sisters for Gena's Birthday.

Then this last weekend I had a Leadership Convention in Tillamook where I had the opportunity to speak a little. I ate way too many cookies and carbs but seem to be holding consistently at 12.75% body fat. I am not getting closer to my goal, but I am not losing ground either.

To gain ground on my goal I am going to go with what I know works for me: I am going back to full schedule Insanity. I have been using P90X as my primary to get my upper body mass up. I am going to place that as secondary on my priorities list by doing key upper body workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays while at college. If what you are doing isn't working, TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT! I will keep you updated.

As a part of my continuing series on fitness challenges for OTR Truck Drivers, here you go… Look us up on Facebook under "Truckin Fitness"

Professional drivers face a rather unique challenge in the constraints of physical space and the related availability of equipment needed to get good full-body fitness. If you are fortunate, you have room in the sleeper to do some crunches and push-ups (even if at an angle with hands on bunk and feet near dash!). If you are an owner-operator or have a great relationship with your boss, you can remove the passenger seat to make room for your new fitness lifestyle.  With a little ingenuity and some inexpensive gear, it is in fact possible to get a full-body fitness plan in motion even with these significant challenges…Read More…

Yours,

Jeff Adams
Independent Beachbody Coach

Fitness Status 7/19

This was the fourth week of my current P90X cycle so it was a recovery week. I still got a workout in every day, two on Wednesday. Saturday and Sunday I was backpacking. Saturday was Ramona Falls with Keith and Erin plus Gena and my girls. Then G and the girls and I went to Tamanawas Falls on the other side of Mt. Hood. We camped just down from the falls that night. Sunday morning we struck camp and hiked out. We headed to the Columbia Gorge to hike Wahkeena Falls then headed over to hike the loop consisting of Horsetail Falls, Ponytail Falls, Oneonta Falls, and Triple Falls. I did all of this with a pack in the name of fitness and in preparation for a three day hike I have this week.

Further, I rolled my ankle on day one! I mention it because I have been working really hard to do nearly everything barefoot for the last several weeks in hopes that I could strengthen myself to the point where this wouldn't happen. It can still happen! It's a little swollen this morning but the pain was gone within an hour or two after it happened.

Diet was good, but I haven't been tracking it like I need to. I have been placing the skin-fold caliper on my stomach every day, though and have seen a couple millimeters drop! I put that in the win column.

Fitness Status 7/12 - Artificial Sweeteners: How Harmful Are They?

Team,
 
Were you dedicated to your progress towards your desired physical state this week? Be honest. I was.
 
Like I told you on Tuesday, I didn't get a rest day last week. Then I was hiking on Monday so I didn't get my scheduled Chest & Back workout in. Tuesday and Thursday were my 4.5mi run from PSU around the Portland Waterfront looping at the Steel Bridge. Wednesday was Ab Ripper X and Shoulder & Arms. Friday was Legs & Back plus Ab Ripper X but I was dehydrated from Thursday and hadn't eaten breakfast yet so I only made it half way through. Some say awesome results come from pushing yourself hard like this before breakfast. Saturday became my rest day… unless you count throwing 100lb bales of hay for an hour! Then Sunday I kayaked the girls around Happy Camp, OR for an hour each. The wind was supposed to be calm but it was rough and I had to fight it on the way back with each kid. My core and shoulders are feeling it today. Thankfully, this is rest week. I will do some P90XPlus to really work the core this week.
 
My body fat percentage is still showing 13.35% but everything seems to be showing more; I guess I am building muscle instead of losing fat. I may need to get more INSANITY intensive to reach my goal of 9.5%.
 
Some of you know I tried cutting out artificial sweeteners recently. When I had a diet soda after a month of none, I went on an eating binge that made me chuckle. I am not totally off of it now, I still enjoy a little stevia in my tea a couple times per week when I am out of raw local honey but I am also not trying to have kids. Sorry if I have led any of you astray in the last few months; there is a lot of info to process out here in the ether.

 

Artificial Sweeteners: How Harmful Are They?

By Steve Edwards, with Denis Faye

This is the question on a lot of people's minds in light of recent studies that link artificial sweeteners to everything from weight gain to Alzheimer's. Fake sugar has been around for a long time but, until recently, has been able to stray from the crosshairs of legal scrutiny. There's always been scuttlebutt surrounding its safety but, for the most part, it's been dismissed as shoddy research and hippie science, which has allowed the sugar substitute industry to nearly triple over the last decade. Let's take a deeper look into the history of artificial sweeteners, the latest scientific warnings, and some realistic alternatives to playing the part of a human lab rat. Read More… Be sure to get to the section on "Some Sweet Science."


 
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Yours,  
Jeff Adams

Independent Beachbody Coach 
NWAdventureFitness.com
SuperShake.info
jeffay.adams2@gmail.com  
The human brain is the most powerful weapon; the body is its life support and maintenance system.


 

Fitness Status 7/6 - Recognition, P90X: MC2, and stuff

Team,

It has been a while since I got to congratulate someone for reaching or surpassing a personal goal or just for outstanding effort. Let me give pat two of you on the back today:

Russ just finished his first round of Insanity and lost 17lbs, 5" off his waist, a total of 7.6% body fat!!
Troy is on week 3 of Insanity. Due to some strange phenomenon, he has lost almost 15lbs!

Safety Note: You should not aim to lose more than 2.5lbs per week as it generally is not healthy, nor sustainable. Sometimes when starting a new fitness program, your body goes into a sort of shock and your hunger response turns off making it hard to eat almost anything. During this time it's important to make yourself eat at least 1200 calories per day; more if you are doing something like P90X, Insanity, or Turbo Fire.

Good Job, Guys!
Have fun buying new pants! You may want to wait a while to see how much more fit you will get…

Beachbody News
Beachbody has had a busy year so far, releasing Body Gospel, Turbo Fire, rebranding Tony Horton One on One to P90X: One on One and announcing P90X: MC2. Monthly subscribers to P90X: One on One will get to watch the making of P90X: MC2 and get a 50% discount on P90X:MC2 when it's released. And did I mention Beachbody has partnered with the American Diabetes Association to stop Diabetes? How Cool is That!

My Status
Recently I had my first radio interview as a Beachbody Coach. Long story. Talk about a growth experience! They called me over some posts they saw online of my Dad and I modifying P90X to work as much as possible for the lifestyle of a long-haul truck driver. Look for more work on that from Dad and I. I have created a forum for this project at OurFitnessArmy.com if you know anyone who may benefit.

I have been in another round of P90X with other stuff thrown in. I run about 40 minutes between classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I would rather be doing Insanity, P90X Cardio, anything more full body than running, but I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Running on the Portland waterfront has been nice though. Saturday I took a two hour kayak trip around some of the Tillamook Estuaries. Sunday and Monday were spent backpacking on Mt. Hood. G and I wanted to recon the Timberline Trail #600 for an upcoming hike we have been planning since February that now may need to be cancelled. For a rest day I… Oops! I didn't get a rest day! Maybe next week. Currently, I am behind on P90X Chest and Back. I will try to make that up during the week.

I can see my body fat percentage dropping in the mirror, but I haven't measured it this week. I think I am on track for my stated goal of 9.5% by my September trip to Texas. Don’t wish me luck, wish me dedication!

How was your week? How will your week be?

Fitness Status 6/28 - I’m Dieting but I Can’t Lose Weight Fast

I missed getting a report out last week and the team let me know about it! Part of me had been so busy that I just wanted to blow it off. Another part of me wanted to see if I would get any emails if I didn't send out an update. These two parts combined told me to blow it off and keep playing! The weather has been nice and I have been out in it!

So to those who emailed me to ask if I was ok, Yes and Thank You! As always, to those who would like to be removed, let me know! If you know anyone who could benefit from a little encouragement, I work for referrals!

Playtime aside, it has been an odd couple of weeks deciding my next set of diet and exercise goals. I think I got it. Last set of goals were to increase strength 30%. In doing so I raised my body fat % just a little and I want it back down. I have a family thing to do in September so I was thinking of reaching for a new goal: 9% body fat. Someone on this distro has already told me I should aim for 10%. I thought about that, but then considered that after Insanity, I had gotten to about 10.5% so 10% isn't really growth for me… Lets split the difference and call it 9.5% body fat for my current 90 day fitness goal. I will do this with P90X and any other cardio routine I can work into it. I may be picking up the new Turbo Fire soon and work doubles into my routine!

As some of you know, I have been working out Barefoot. This has been going very well. Friday however, I did P90X: Legs & Back barefoot for the first time and my calves are still upset about it. When you try this, you might consider lowering your weight 5lbs or so for the three-angle calf burners near the end!

I also have my kids doing P90X with me for the summer! Nicole is eight, Natalie is 11. I started them at week 1, day 3 of the program. Some of the cardio so far has been replaced by hiking and running around outside, but the resistance and core work has been solid. I plan on keeping them to this through the summer. They will only be able to Bring It every other week due to their biological father's summer visitation, but so far they are all in. We modify, modify, modify, but they are doing just fine. Add this to the reading plan I have them on for summer and I think they will go back to school in the fall more fit physically and mentally than 90% of their class!

Now enough about me! Saw this during the week and it piqued my interest…


I’m Dieting but I Can’t Lose Weight Fast
by Chalene on January 6, 2009
Carey is a classic example of a life long dieter and cardio junky who despite a great work ethic, needed a new plan!


Carey told me before she started ChaLEAN Extreme that her whole life had been spent dieting and a slave to her cardio. She said people always looked surprised when she told them how much she was working out.

Millions of people, and especially women suffer from the consequences of years of trying to restrict calories.

It’s perhaps the reason I’m most excited to have people follow this plan (Oprah… are you listening???)

Perhaps the most common complaint I hear from women is “I’m cutting my calories, but I can’t live like this and I’m not losing weight like I used to!”

For years people have been told it’s simple a numbers game. Burn more than you consume and you’ll lose weight. We also often hear this magic number of “1200″ calories. But these two notions, though fairly accurate, only tell part of the picture and this picture is drastically different if you are a life time dieter! Read More…

Yours,

Jeff Adams
Independent Beachbody Coach
NWAdventureFitness.com
SuperShake.info
503.812.7610
jeffay.adams2@gmail.com

The human brain is the most powerful weapon; the body is its life support and maintenance system.

Fitness Status 6/14 -How to Strengthen Your (Bare, Flat) Feet

I am not currently working on any goals. I am working on a new fitness project. I started spraining ankles at a young age. I remember being concerned I couldn't get into the Navy my ankles were so bad. I could sneeze and roll an ankle! I swore by tall boots with strong ankle support and almost never wore shorts because I had to always be in boots! Eventually I realized that I had to get into lower-top shoes if I was ever going to strengthen my ankles. That was step 1.

Over the years, my ankles got stronger and stronger. I found backpacker insoles that helped keep my heel in the right spot of my foot which seemed to help my ankles more. Eventually I found INSANITY and lost all concern for spraining ankles as that program strengthened them from all angles. I guess that was step 2.

Then I picked up the Primal Blueprint and decided I needed to start playing barefoot more. Next, on Facebook, I saw a pic of Aaron doing the sample Turbo Fire video without shoes. I started doing my INSANITY and other cardio work barefoot! That was step 3.

Besides blogging it on TeamBeachbody.com I have posted it in our forums at ourfitnessarmy.com here to learn from others' experiences.

Here's a note from Mark at Mark's Daily Apple to help with the details. May it serve you as it has me!



How to Strengthen Your (Bare, Flat) Feet

About 20% of adults have flat feet. A small subset of the population suffers from hereditary flat foot, but most of it is developed. Very few of us are actually born with flat foot. In this post I’ll explore what you can do to avoid flat feet in the first place, and if you already have them whether it is possible to reverse the damage.

Since publishing blog posts on ditching shoes, alternatives to going barefoot, and others I now receive regular reader emails like this one: Read More.

Fitness Status 6/7 -Warrior Dash Sept. 11

No update from me. Last week was a rest week. How was yours?

I am 95% certain I am running in the Warrior Dash in September.

http://warriordash.com/register2010_northwest.php

Will you join me?

Yours,

Jeff Adams
Independent Beachbody Coach
NWAdventureFitness.com
SuperShake.info
503.812.7610
jeffay.adams2@gmail.com

The human brain is the most powerful weapon; the body is its life support and maintenance system.

Fitness Status 6/1- My After Action Summary Last 90 days

Mark Sisson of defines the aging process—at least in America—as "The process of physical decline largely due to inactivity." Together, we are changing that trend. Help me keep that going!

Summary: Final week of my P90X Insanity Hybrid.

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days) following the Hybrid XI Plan.
Exercise Summary: I have been stressing to finish off this college term early so I can get a good seat in Summer term at Portland State School of Business. As such, I missed several workouts and decided to go ahead and do my final fit test a few days early. This was compounded by a 30 mile hike I had planned for the weekend. So instead of testing on Sunday, I tested on Thursday. While I have consistently watched my strength go up over the last three months, I was concerned that I could not reach my goal of 30% increase in strength. I did it.
February 28, May 27
Pull-Ups (2min) 23 regular grip, 31
Push-Ups (2min) 68 to the floor, 102
In & Out Crunches (2min) 104, 140
Wall Squats (Time) 2 min 40 sec, 4min
Tricep Extensions 25lbs 13 each arm, 19ea
Bicep Curls 35lbs 17 each arm, 25ea
Shoulder Presses 45lbs 12 each arm, 16ea

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: I think for the duration of the program, I should have done much better. I got lazy but learned a lot about meal planning. The new meal planning online tool should help a bunch. You can see that in my increase in Body Fat %. I think I will aim to get this a little lower for my next S.M.A.R.T. Goal.

Measurement February 28, May 24
Weight 161, 162
Ab 31, 31
Hip 31.5, 31
Right Arm 13, 14
Left Arm 13, 13.75
Right Thigh 22, 22
Left Thigh 22, 22
BodyFat% (JP 3fold) 11.85, 11.85


I am going to take this week and work on some P90X+. I am eagerly awaiting TurboFire which I will do with my wife and may supplement some P90X to just get superpumped. I will be sure to let you know so that you can keep me accountable.

How will you do this week? Talk to me.

Also, Friend me on Facebook! CoachJeffay
And check out my message board posts at OurFitnessArmy.com

Fitness Status 5/17

Summary: Tenth week of my P90X Insanity Hybrid.

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days) following the Hybrid XI Plan.
Exercise Summary: The weather was so nice this week I just had to replace several of my scheduled workouts with running. I got in a 1.8 mile, couple of 2.5 mile, a 7 mile through the Tillamook dairy country. I was ok this time, but noticed several farmers spraying silage. I will have to watch the wind before running here.

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: good. Same as last week: Good for calories, bad for protein.

Neither my diet nor my exercise deviation are helping me get to my stated goal of a 30% strength increase as measured by reps*weight in specific exercises.

Fitness Status 5/10 - Your Thyroid and You

Summary: Ninth week of my P90X Insanity Hybrid. Rest week

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days) following the Hybrid XI Plan.
Exercise Summary: I AM BACK, BABY!! I missed Thursday and Friday. Thursday I had to get a lot done before a leadership convention that I was traveling for on Friday. I made these up Saturday with a UML and run workout in the morning, Chest&Back(1/2) at lunch, and a run in the evening. I will all it Excellent, not quite outstanding.

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: good. I am on track with calories, just not the protein ratio I want. I am closer to 18! This weekend at the conference, the food was yummy! Bad news was it centered around the American staple: REFINED CARBS!! But man, their biscuits and homemade jam were to die for! And their scones… off the charts! But I did track my calories as best I could with the rule of hand and feel good about it. This morning I am a little underweight... Not really the goal.

I had a great conversation this weekend about Thyroid health and wanted to share some stuff and things. If you are trying to lose weight, you will want to understand the organ that regulates your metabolism and how to feed it.

Your Thyroid and You By Denis Faye

In your neck, under your larynx, you'll find a less-than-an-ounce gland that looks like a butterfly—a very ugly butterfly. This is your thyroid, and believe it or not, this tiny lump of flesh regulates your entire metabolism. When it works, your metabolism works and life is fine. But when it doesn't work? Well, it's pretty amazing how one little butterfly can cause so many problems. The thyroid's task is relatively simple. It takes the iodine you get from your diet, usually from seafood and iodized salt, and combines it with san amino acid (a protein-building block) called tyrosine to create two hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). These hormones then travel throughout your system, regulating your metabolism or the conversion of oxygen and calories to energy. …Read More…

Email me and let me know how your goals are going! Share your thoughts about Mr. or Mrs. Thyroid!!

Jeff Adams
Independent Beachbody Coach
NWAdventureFitness.com
SuperShake.info
jeffay.adams2@gmail.com

The human brain is the most powerful weapon; the body is its life support and maintenance system.

Fitness Status: 5/3 - Should You Exercise When You're Sick?

90 days to beach body season. Are you ready?

Summary: Eighth week (again) of my P90X Insanity Hybrid. Rest week

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days) following the Hybrid XI Plan.
Exercise Summary: Non-existent. While not a fan of repeating (more a fan of pushing forward), I am going to count this walking pneumonia as a rule changer and start fresh on Week 9 of my Hybrid this week. I am not fully better, but I feel close enough. This month is going to be hard, but the results should be worth it! I did hike 30+ miles this weekend. I will blog it at later today.

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: No Idea. The prescription Doc has me on makes me want to eat all day. I think I put on a couple pounds this week, but I will burn them in the next two days!

Should You Exercise When You're Sick?
By Steve Edwards

Spring is a time of inspiration. Flowers bloom, the days get warmer, and with summer around the corner, we start to get serious about how we're going to look in our bathing suits. But the onset of spring is also the final round of the cold and flu season. Let's look at the best way to survive it while keeping your results on track.

Whether or not to work out when you're sick is an age-old dilemma. Since it makes you stronger and healthier, we tend to think that it will help. And since no one wants to see their hard-earned fitness gains waste away, we want to keep up with our program. But when you consider what happens to your body, physiologically, during an illness and during exercise, you may see how this seemingly rational train of thought could…Read More…

Fitness Status 4/26 - 5 Simple Rules for Eating Sugar

Talk to me goose!
I want to know what your plan is to get in shape by summer! 90 days to beach body season. Are you going to be ready?

Summary: Eighth week of my P90X Insanity Hybrid. Rest week

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days). Extra when I can try out other programs like Slim in 6, YBB, TurboJam, etc
Exercise Summary: Outstanding! I got 2 days of stretching in as I brought it way too hard the week before. Then I took Friday off completely since I knew I would be backpacking Saturday and Sunday. As a result, I haven't done my fit test yet, but my measurements are looking great. I will do my fit test today or tomorrow and let you know. I am fighting a wicked cold, so I don't expect stellar results, but I will push it anyway.

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: No Idea. I stopped tracking this week and just went totally Primal until Saturday. I am weight in now at 160.5, 10.93% body fat. Leanest I have been since boot camp in ‘94. I will put that in the win column.

5 Simple Rules for Eating Sugar


April 25th, 2010 by admin
Few topics boggle dieters and fitness enthusiasts the way sugar does. Is this simple carbohydrate the key to unlocking elite sports performance? Or is it the chains that drag our country deeper into the obesity epidemic? Annoyingly, the answer is both. But before you throw your hands up in frustration and grab yourself a Twinkie®, let’s take a minute to talk about sugar. It’s not as complex...Read More...

Fitness Status 4/19 - Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda

Team,
Below is a my accountability report for the week.

Summary: Seventh week of my P90X Insanity Hybrid. Thank God for Rest week!

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days). Extra when I can try out other programs like Slim in 6, YBB, TurboJam, etc
Exercise Summary: Outstanding! Got in all regularly scheduled workouts plus a 7 mile hike with a 35lb pack. My legs are burnin'! Also, I tried Hip Hop Abs for the first time this week. Very fun workout. Once I learn the moves, I bet I can get as good a burn as I do with Insanity or P90X cardio work. Near the end of Phase 2, I feel like I am not plateauing, but getting stronger. Phase 3 should be out-effin-standing.

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: Good. I am playing more with Primal Blueprint and less with Protein tracking. I have gained 4lbs while maintaining 11.24% body fat which means 4lbs of lean muscle.

Top 10 Reasons to Give Up Soda
April 15th, 2010 by admin
By Steve Edwards If you’re looking for a scapegoat in the obesity epidemic, look no further than soda. It’s the single greatest caloric source in the world, accounting for somewhere between 11 and 19 percent of all the calories consumed worldwide. It’s cheap, addictive, and readily available, which generally means it’ll take some willpower to avoid. But don’t despair, Read More...

How did you do? Most importantly, how will you do this week?

Seriously, email me! If I can help, I want to know.

Fitness Status 4/12 - Gaining Mass with P90X

Team,
Below is a my accountability report for the week.

Summary: Sixth week of my P90X Insanity Hybrid. Diggin' it.

Exercise Goal: Daily workouts (6 days). Extra when I can try out other programs like Slim in 6, YBB, TurboJam, etc
Exercise Summary: Outstanding! Got in all regularly scheduled workouts except for Saturday when I went backpacking with a 45lb pack for two days. I think I got my calorie burn in.

Diet Goal: 2800 calories per day, 30% Protein daily
Diet Summary: Good. I do not track calories when I am backpacking. Sorry! Seem to be closer to 27 than 30% on the Protein ratio.

Some people have complained that you can't gain mass on the X. Some of you are already proving that wrong with the help of a good coach...

Gaining Mass with P90X
By Steve Edwards
“Don’t want to look small!” —Lou Ferrigno in Pumping Iron

Guys have a thing for mass. It’s hard to explain, really, but boys seem to grow up wanting nothing more than to be big. Guys want speedboats and trucks, and they want to look like The Hulk, regardless of what their wives may think of green skin. If this sounds like you, here’s the article you’ve… read more.

How did you do? Most importantly, how will you do this week?